Tricky Love
by A Dork In Glasses
Summary: Lucy and Natsu were always best friends until one year ago. Now he hates her. Why? Lucy has no idea. All she knows is that she loves him and senior year is going to be a tough year with him.


**Hey guys! Here is my NALU day one-shot. Enjoy and please review!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing besides the plot**

 **Lucy POV**

We all have that one person we can't stand. The one person who manages to crawl under your skin and build themselves a permanent home to do whatever they so desire. Unfortunately for me I can't escape that person no matter what I do. He's my classmate, desk neighbor, and ex-best friend.

He's also the guy I'm in love with.

His name is Natsu Dragneel. Tall, muscular and had spiky pink hair which he swore was natural. Brown eyes any girl could get lost in; which many did. One smile had any girl practically drooling. He always wore a scale patterned scarf around his neck. One time, a freshmen took his scarf as a joke and Natsu almost killed the poor kid. Ever since then no one touched his scarf.

He was also the arrogant and dense idiot of our class. He was always fighting with Gray or Gajeel. If you put any of them in the same room as Natsu there was bound to be a fight. He also has this uncanny ability to get on my every last nerve and light it on fire.

Today was as normal as any day could be. I woke up after vigorously hitting the snooze button on my alarm about nine times which made me rush through my morning routine of: showering like the world was ending, drying my hair, throwing on some quick makeup, getting dressed and eating whatever I could find as I ran out the door, hoping to make it to school on time.

Racing out my front door with a breakfast bar held between my teeth was no easy feat. It was also how I met my oh so lovely neighbor. And by met I mean crashed into.

"Mavis Blondie. You're going to kill someone with your ugliness before you even make it to school." came the expected attempt at an insult from the guy beneath me.

"Well you are on the top of my hit list so I'd say it would be a job well done." I grunted as I got off the stupid idiot. I glared up at the infuriating pink haired guy in front of me. If you guessed that Natsu Dragneel was my neighbor then A+ for you.

"Aw how you wound me so. See you in class looser." And with that he ran off in the direction of school. How I fell for a guy with that personality is beyond me.

The high school we attend is Fairy Tail Academy. I moved to the town of Magnolia when I was seven. My mother died and my father decided that staying in the mansion was too hard with all of the memories and things reminding him of my mother, so we packed our bags, got on a train, and landed in Magnolia. And we've been here ever since.

Natsu and I met when my dad and I moved. We instantly clicked even though he could never could get my name right. We were best friends for years and sometime then I fell hard for him. Between the late night sleepovers and games in the mud, I fell for my best friend. Up until last year we were inseparable. And then the incident happened and we began to hate each other. Only I didn't exactly hate him; he hated me. I didn't know why and it killed me.

Ugh thinking about this only made me depressed and I need to bust ass to get to school on time. Stupid Natsu.

I made it to school with just minutes to spare. I was breathing heavily when I walked into the classroom. The pink haired prick was smirking at me from the back of the room.

"Run much Heartfillia?"

Choosing to ignore the idiot, I made my way over to my desk where I was greeted by my two blue-haired best friends, Juvia and Levy. The three of us made an interesting trio. We met in fifth grade and instantly clicked. We'd been best friends ever since.

The short, blue haired girl with large brown eyes was the first of her best friends. While she lacked the height, she made up for in brains. Levy was a major bookworm to the point where she managed to read in seven different languages. She was hardly ever seen without having her nose stuffed in a book or under her arm. Levy is extremely smart, the top of the class. Perfect grades were going to get her into some of the top colleges in the world. Levy was dating the school's biggest delinquent: Gajeel Redfox. Piercings covered his face and arms, red eyes that sent shivers of fear down anyone's back, and a mane of long, thick black hair created the outer physic of Levy's boyfriend. Even though he never showed it in school, Levy swore he was a giant softie who owned a cat named Pantherlilly.

Juvia on the other hand loved water, it was practically a part of herself. She was the champion swimmer on our school swim team and was a shoe-in for a scholarship to any college she wanted to attend. She broke the school record so many times it just became routine. She was smart too. She also made up quite well in the beauty department. Long flowing blue hair, blue eyes and an amazing body from all the swimming would've had most guys drooling. But she was dating the school's notorious stripper and part bad boy. Juvia was crazy about him, borderline stalkerish but Gray was just as crazy about her. While she was more public about their relationship, Juvia would come back with stories about the black haired boy that had her two best friends cooing in joy for their friend.

"Lu-chan! Natsu looks rather hot today doesn't her?" Levy smirked as she nudged me with her arm. Did I forget to mention she was a mini she-devil in disguise behind that large smile and bookworm appearance?

"Juvia thinks so as well Lucy-san." Juvia was also smirking. She has the tendency to speak in the third person. I don't think I've ever heard her speak in first person in all of the years that I've known her.

Oh one more important detail: they believed that Natsu and I were deeply in love with each other and were destined to be lovers. Not that they were wrong on my side, but they didn't need to know that.

"He looks about as repulsive as he does every day guys. Will you give the attempts at match making a rest already?" I said as I put my bag down and collapsed into my chair, trying to regain some of my breathing. One could only hope that the universe wasn't trying to kill me by lack of air today.

The morning bell was about to ring so the girls went to their respective seats. I sat in the second to last row on the side of the classroom with the windows. Levy sat on the other side of room by the door, two rows up. Juvia sat three seats up and two rows over from me. Gajeel sat right behind Juvia (those two had one of the strangest relationships ever) and Gray was behind me. Natsu sat next to me. Seeing I was next to the window, I was forced to either partner with Natsu for work when we needed to or work alone. It also meant I had no one to talk to because Gray and Natsu were always fighting and the girl in front of me, Erza, was always breaking them up.

Erza was the school's council president as well as one of the strictest students I'd ever seen. We were friends but she was always so busy with student council or her studies or her boyfriend, Jellal Fernandez, that we never really got to do anything.

Class seemed to fly by as it always did. Natsu flung his stupid insults at me while I countered with my own. Finally it was lunch time, free time. Usually Levy, Juvia and I would climb up to the roof where we would meet up with Gajeel, Gray, Erza, Jellal and Natsu for a group lunch. While I didn't exactly love being with the guy who hated me for most of the day, it was good to talk to my other friends.

I kept my lunch in my locker out of the fear that somehow during the day Natsu would throw something awful in it and ruin it. I opened my locker, grabbed my lunch and was about to close the door when something caught my eye. There was a note in my locker. Hmm..

 _I can't keep pretending anymore. Meet me on the roof after school at 3:30._

 _I'll be waiting._

 _-Your secret admirer._

A love letter? An actual love letter? I glanced around making sure no one I knew was around before tucking the note into the pocket of my sweater. No need to tell anyone about the note, I'll just go on my own, deal with the guy and then if anything comes out of it, tell the girls.

I closed my locker and headed for the stairs that led up to the roof. Who could this "secret admirer" be? I wasn't all that popular with guys around here. None of them seemed to want to talk to me, much less come near me. It was weird but I wasn't giving it much thought since I was in love with the one guy whom I would never have.

Finally reaching the roof, I opened the door only to smack into something hard.

"Ouch dammit. What the hell was that?" I rubbed my now sore nose.

"Look where you're going Heartfillia. You blind or something?" Of course it was him. It was always him.

"Says the one blocking the doorway." I grumbled, walking away from the door to sit next to Juvia.

The others were used to our banter so no one gave us a second glance. It was routine. Within minutes or seconds of my arrival, Natsu would find something to tease me about: hair, running into him, or something else the moron could come up with. Honestly I'm surprised they haven't ran for the hills with our constant bickering.

"Can you guys believe it's our senior year already? What are we going to do with ourselves for the rest of our lives?" Erza was speaking.

"Juvia will go where ever Gray-sama goes and swim. The Juvia and Gray-sama will live together, have jobs get.." Juvia was once again lost in one of her many daydreams about her future with Gray. From what I've gathered she wants to go to the same college, live together, get married and then have ten children. Mavis help her.. Gray just looked at his girlfriend and smiled. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest while she turned bright red.

"I have no idea what college I want to go to. I just want to read and research and learn more languages." Now it was Levy.

"With your grades Shrimp you can go anywhere you want to. Gihi." Gajeel, the oh so caring boyfriend of Ms. McGarden. She grinned up at him, pleased with the praise. "Just gotta pass the height requirement." And there was the usual heigh comment. While he loved the short girl, he seemed to tease her about her height all the time. The small bluenette just glared at her boyfriend before digging into her lunch.

"I might get an ice hockey scholarship. Besides that I have no idea what I want to do with my life." Gray was the school's champion ice hockey player as well as the stripper.

"You could always go to your natural territory and work at a strip club, ice-princess." And here comes the usual fight..

"What did you say ash-for-brains?"

"Go back to your strip club, stripper."

"Did you hit your head one too many times as a baby flame-brain?"

And the first of the punches were exchanged before Erza looks up and yells, "You two aren't fighting are you?" Faster than Gray could strip off his shirt, the two idiots threw their arms around each other's shoulders and started grinning. "No way Erza, we're best friends!" Bodies shaking, and fake grinned adorning each of their faces, Erza seemed pleased and went back to eating her lunch. Did she ever see through their completely fake facade? Anyone could and the boys knew it too. But they were too scared to do anything else.

"...you, Lu-chan? What do you want to do?" I was snapped out of my thoughts when Levy asked me a question.

"Huh? Sorry Levy I didn't hear you?" Time to pay attention.

"What do you want to do about college and the rest of your life?" I already knew what I wanted to do, write, but I also knew my father wanted me to take over his business one day. My dream had always been to be a novelist but my father would never pay for school unless I got a business degree. Maybe I could double major or minor in writing.

"I'm going to get a business degree and eventually take over my father's business." I finally responded. The others seemed to take that as an acceptable response. I waited for Natsu to say something but all he did was mumble, "Nerd" and continue to eat. Well that was both weird and anticlimactic.

The warning bell sounded and we all stood up and cleaned up the mess we made. Class flew bye and soon it was almost time for me to go and meet my "secret admirer." I have to admit I'm a bit excited. First guy to ask to meet me. Was he tall? In my grade? Smart? Pink-haired?

Forget I said that forget I said that. I really need to get over him. He's ruining my life. He's waiting for me on the roof?

"Natsu? What are you doing here?" I was extremely confused but a treacherous spark of hope ignited in my chest.

"Heartfillia? Why are you here? Get lost again?" Even he seemed surprised to see me. Ok what the hell is going on?

"No idiot. I got a note telling me that I was to meet someone up here at 3:30.. which is now." He was starting to look freaked out. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. Handing it to me he spoke, "You too?"

No insult. There was something going on. Opening the paper I saw it was the same exact message as mine. I can't keep pretending anymore. _Meet me on the roof after school at 3:30. I'll be waiting. -Your secret admirer._ The only difference were the hearts on it.

"What the hell? Is this some sort of joke? I knew you were stupid but I didn't think you were this stupid Dragneel." I was pissed. Here I was thinking some guy was going to confess only to find out this idiot set the whole thing up.

"What are you on? Why the hell would I set this up? This isn't exactly pleasant for me Heartfillia." He was pissed too. With that said that leaves only one option: our friends set us up.

"I bet it was Gray. Stripper's been bugging me all week. Now I know why."

"I have a feeling he wasn't acting alone. Levy and Juvia had to be in on this. No offence but Gray's not this smart." I was going to kill the two she-devils. I started imagining how many different ways I could torture them without killing them right away, while a malicious grin spread across my face and a glint appeared in my eyes.

"Well what should we do about it? It's not like they're going to leave us alone." For once the moron was making sense and not spouting whatever shit he heard from someone else.

"I have an idea. How about a fake date? The girls are going to pester me no matter what and I'm sure the guys aren't going to let it go so let's give them what they want and get them off our backs." This could work. It would also probably destroy my heart in the process but I was desperate enough to take what I could get from him, whether it be insults or a fake date.

Natsu looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "Alright Heartfillia you've got yourself one fake date with the one and only Natsu Dragneel tonight. I'll pick you up at seven. Be ready."

Bring it on.

* * *

I was ambushed when I left the school. Levy and Juvia came flying at me, a thousand questions at once. A bunch of "where were you"s, "did you meet a guy?", "was it natsu?" were thrown in my face all at once.

"SHUT UP." They both stopped talking and looked at me expectantly. "I will tell you guys if you let me speak ok? I can't answer if you guys don't let me." They nodded. Alright Luce, breathe and let the torture begin.

"I was on the roof. Yes, I met a guy and yes it was Natsu and now I have a date at seven to go get ready for." I swear to Mavis I'm going to be deaf by the time I'm twenty-five. Those two have a pair of lungs on them. I slapped my hands to cover their mouths and stop and eardrum killing screams they were both emitting.

"Holy shit do you want me to go deaf?" They shook their heads no, my hands still over their mouths. "If I let go will you behave? If you don't you don't get to help me pick out my outfit." Two heads eagerly nodded. I slowly removed my hands. "Behave.." I warned. They looked at each other, grinned and each took one of my arms.

"Come on Lu-chan. We only have a few hours to get you all pretty for your date with Natsu!"

Kill me now. Please just kill me now. Not only was my heart going to face major heartbreak tonight but now I have to go fake being slightly happy with my friends. Awesome.

The two she-Devils practically dragged me to my house all while discussing what lingerie I would wear just in case. They were tied between bright red and black.

"Guys! I am not wearing sexy underwear to a date with NATSU OF ALL PEOPLE." I shrieked. One of my neighbors stopped and shouted, "It's about time the two of you just released all that sexual tension"

I was mortified. Even my neighbors wanted us together!? We had sexual tension!? Someone kill me now please. Please.

Juvia snickered, "See Lucy-san everyone wants you two to just get freaky."

"JUVIA!" She just laughed. "Relax Lucy. Juvia is just kidding. But we want to see Lucy happy."

I smiled, "Thanks Juvia, that means a lot."

"Now come on Lucy-san. Someone has a date to get ready for!"

* * *

After many hours of plucking, scrubbing and being used as a human barbie, I was released from the clutches of the two she-devils. I was wearing a dark blue dress. It clinched at my waist and then was flowy all the way to just above my knees. It was snug on my chest, with a scoop neck and thick straps. Dark brown boots adorned my feet. Part of my hair was up in a side pony tail and the locket my mom gave my encircled my neck. Small dangling earrings and light makeup finished my look and I was ready to go. I was just waiting on my 'date.' That is if he was even going to show up.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. My doorbell was ringing. My father was out tonight so I didn't have to worry about him. I opened the door and was greeted with a gorgeous guy who hates me. Right, this was a fake date.

He was wearing green pants and a red hoodie. Simple but hot damn he was gorgeous. His eyes widened a fraction before the turned back to their dull, bored look.

"Let's go Heartfillia." This was going to be harder than I thought.

He ended up taking me to the restaurant we used to go to all the time as kids; Mira's Cafe. When we walked through the doors, I looked up at him confused but went along with it.

"Table for two please." He looked over at me, seeing the confusion splashed all over my face. "I figured if we're going to pull this off it has to look realistic." So this was just to make it look realistic. I could feel my hopes plummet to the ground, back to where they should've been from the beginning.

The hostess walked us over to a small table by the cafe's window. Shit, this was our old usual table. Memories of us sitting there, laughing, sometimes covered in mud, flashed through my mind. Get a grip Luce, put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

I sat down in the chair, trying to keep my face neutral. Just what had I gotten myself into?

A waitress came over and took our orders. We ordered the same things we used to: burger and fries with a chocolate/strawberry milkshake. We didn't speak all throughout dinner. We split the bill since this wasn't a real date and left.

"Sorry for putting you up to this. It was stupid. Don't worry about walking me home. I have to go to the grocery store anyways. See you at school tomorrow." I walked away from him after he just nodded. And there goes my heart, smashed into a thousand pieces.

I ran to the nearest grocery store, found the restroom, locked myself in the handicap stall and started sobbing. Idiot, what the hell!? Why did I have to fall for you!? Anyone else but you..

I stayed in that stall for about fifteen minutes before fixing my makeup, leaving the store and headed home. Crap Levy and Juvia were still at my house. There was no hiding my puffy and red eyes from them.

I walked into my house, up the stairs, into my room, and collapsed on my bed, crying once again. Levy and Juvia stopped giggling over whatever it was they were doing and just held me as I cried.

* * *

My head hurt like hell the next morning. My eyes were crusty and I was still in my dress. Levy and Juvia were sprawled on my bed next to me. We had stayed up all night talking, crying and just trying to get me over the ashole who tore a giant hole in my heart.

I reached my bathroom and looked in the mirror. I looked like I had been dragged through hell and back, which is what it felt like. I turned on my shower and started my routine, but with no energy. Levy and Juvia eventually woke up and we all stumbled down the stairs, grabbed breakfast bars and left. Thankfully there was no run-ins with my neighbor. I knew once I got to school that it would be hell and I needed to put on a mask so no one knew just how terrible I felt. The less people who knew, the better.

I walked into the classroom and tripped over a wire. And then I was standing there soaking wet.

"I needed to get rid of the stench in the room. Shower much Heartfillia?" Natsu. Already he was back to the teasing and the insults. Forcing back the tears, I looked at him and said two words, "Fuck you." Then I spun on my heel, walked out, and went to go find a change of clothes, leaving the stunned classroom behind me.

I had my P.E. uniform in my locker so I grabbed it and went to the bathroom to change. While I was in the stall I could hear the girls in our grade talking about something. Me.

"Did you hear? Natsu Dragneel took Lucy Heartfillia out on a date. About time, I think someone could cut the tension between them with a knife. Maybe from now on we won't have to listen to them consistently arguing." Even my grade wanted us together. This was just too much.

I finished changing and walked back to the classroom, head held high. The only way I was going to get through this day was with my head held high and ignoring the guy who made my heart arch just looking at him. Easier said than done.

Class went by slower than molasses dripping out of my syrup bottle at home. By the time lunch came around, I was itching to get out of my seat. As soon as we were dismissed I bolted for the door and to my locker to grab my lunch. I grabbed it and a note fluttered out of my locker and onto the floor. I had nothing else to lose so what was the harm at this point?

 _Meet me at the roof, 3:30. Come alone. I just want to explain things._

 _-Natsu_

I read the note seven times before it sunk in. He wanted to talk? Explain? After a full year of hating me and not knowing why he wanted to talk? I was torn. Part of me wanted to go, hoping that he would go back to the Natsu I knew and confess while the other part screamed don't go he's already hurt you enough. The curious side of me won out.

I walked back to class, deciding to eat on my own. Levy and Juvia would cover for me, say I was stuck studying or something. I ate, not really tasting the food I had grabbed at the last minute this morning. I couldn't stop thinking about the note. This was either going to end really well or really bad.

The bell rang and it was time for class again. This time it flew by. Of course, when I don't want it to fly it does and when I do it doesn't. Someone in the universe hates me I swear. By the time 3:30 rolled around I was a mess of nerves. I walked up the stairs, but paused at the door. I could see him leaning against the railing, waiting. Should I go? Trust the guy who's stomped on my heart more times than I can count? See what he has to say? I pushed open the door. It was now or never.

"I didn't think you'd come."

"I would be lying if I said I didn't consider it."

He turned, stared at me, making me squirm and cross my arms over my stomach. "Why'd you want to speak to me, Natsu?"

He looked down at his feet, "I want to explain. Last night was a mistake and I owe you an explanation for the past year."

"Alright. Start talking." Was I going to leave with a broken heart after this? Probably. But I was already here. There was no going back.

"A year ago, I went to your dad to talk to him. I wanted to ask you out and seeing how the two of you were so close, I wanted his blessing. Only he didn't exactly give it to me. He challenged me instead. 'Remove yourself from this part of her life and if in a year you still feel the same, you have my blessing.' So I did exactly that. I made you hate me. I made it so that the very sound of my name made you shiver in disgust. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I was crazy about you, still am." He chuckled, still staring at the ground while I was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Whaa.."

"Let me finish. Last night was a mistake, that's not how a first date should go. It should be filled with laughter, smiles and a good time. Not a tense, heavy atmosphere and awkward silence. Luce you have to believe me when I say I'm crazy about you. In a way I'm glad your dad forced this upon us. Now I know what I want to do for college and the rest of my life. I also know that I can't do it without you. You're stuck with me for life Lucy Heartfillia, that is if you feel the same."

He stopped and looked at me, finished explaining why my life had been a living hell the past year. I took a deep breath, trying to process all of it.

"So what you're saying is my dad put you up to this, and you're still crazy about me?" He nodded, looking slightly scared at my calm reaction.

"So the living hell that you put me through is because of my father? Do you realize how crazy that sounds!?"

"Yeah I do.. And I'm really sorry Luce. I never wanted to hurt you."

"It's a little late for that don't you think?" I needed to get out, now. I ran through the door, down the stairs and all the way home. I needed to think and I needed to talk to my father.

* * *

The sound of the front door opening was what woke me up from my nap on the couch. I was still in my school P.E. uniform but I don't care at this point.

"Dad? Can we talk?" I asked walking into the kitchen where he was laying down his briefcase and things from work.

"Yeah sure. What's up Lucy?" my dad finished laying his things down and sat down on one of the barstools.

"Is it true that you told Natsu to stay away from me for a year before he could date me?" I looked him right the eye. I was tired of not having answers.

My dad swallowed and said, "Yes."

I looked at him, tears filling my brown eyes. "How could you? Do you realize how much pain that put me through the past year? Dad I'm in love with him for Mavis' sake! For years now! How could you do this to me!?" I was sobbing at this point, but I was relieved. It meant Natsu wasn't lying and I could actually date the guy.

"Lucy.. It was for your best interests. A boyfriend would've distracted you from school and getting ready for college."

"Did you have to tell him to stop being my best friend though?" I ran out of the room and up to my room, slammed the door behind me and just went to sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

Lunch time, time to put my plan into action. Fingering the note in my pocket I got my lunch out of my locker, I found his and slid the note into it. Now time to wait.

* * *

I leaned against the railing of the roof. It was almost time. Almost time to put a smile back on my face, a true smile.

I heard the door open behind me and a person lean on the rain next to me. I glanced up at him, his scarf blowing in the wind.

"You wanted to see me, Luce?"

"That I did. I want to explain a few things myself." I was nervous, but the good kind. "I wanted to tell you that I spoke to my father and he said the same thing you said. So that clears any doubt of you lying to me. Now you said that I'm stuck with you for the long run? That you want to go to college with me and spend the rest of our lives together? Is that right"

"Yeah" his voice was a whisper.

I stepped closer. We were nose to nose. "Hate to break it to you Dragneel but you're the one stuck with me. I'm crazy about you." I smiled. "And I always will be."

He grinned, his eyes lighting up for the first time in over a year. His arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me up, spinning me in a circle, our foreheads pressed together.

"I love you so much Lucy Heartfillia."

"And I love you Natsu Dragneel."

We were both grinning like idiots, too happy to care. He set me down, but didn't let go of my waist. He leaned in and kissed me. The only thing running through my mind as I sunk into the kiss was, _finally_.


End file.
